Tobacco product

ABSTRACT

Addition of 2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2 cyclohexen-1,4-dione to tobacco in quanties of 0.0005 to 0.1 percent by weight for improving the flavor and aroma thereof.

Unitefl S1ates Pafienfi 1191 Rhode May 11, 11973 TOBACCO PRODUCT1,325,060 12/1919 Toms ..131 144 x 3,255,760 6/1966 Selke ...13l/143 X[75 1 Invent mmde Lake 3,316,919 5/1967 Green et al ..131/143 [73]Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 3,380,456 4/1968 Roberts eta1. ..l31/144X Winston-Salem, NC. Primary Examiner-Melvin D. Rein [22]Jan-4,1972 Azlorney-Albert H. Pendleton [21] Appl. No.: 215,398

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S.C1. ..l3l/171R, 131/144 Addition of2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trim-ethyl-2 cyclohexen- [51] Int. Cl. ..A24b 15/001,4-dione to tobacco in quanties of 0.0005 to 0.1 per- [58] Field ofSearch ..l3l/ 17.9, 144, 15 cent by weight for improving the flavor andaroma thereof. [56] References Cited 3 Claims, No Drawings UNITED STATESPATENTS 858,289 6/1907 Hondius ..131/144 TOBACCO PRODUCT This inventionrelates to a tobacco product and has for an object the provision of acomposition and process for improving the flavor and/or aroma of tobaccoand tobacco smoke.

It is well known in the tobacco art that the flavor and aroma of thetobacco product and the smoke from the tobacco are very importantconsiderations insofar as the ultimate consumer is concerned.Considerable efforts are exerted by the manufacturers of tobaccoproducts to provide a product that will be acceptable to the consumer,particularly as regards flavor and aroma characteristics. It has beenthe common practice in the tobacco industry to prepare blends ofdomestic and oriental tobaccos in order to provide smoking tobacco whichhas a pleasing flavor and aroma before and during smoking. However, sucha procedure is costly and may at times become prohibitive in the eventthat certain types of tobacco may be in short supply. Accordingly, it isa further object of this invention to 'provide an additive which whenapplied to the tobacco products improves and enhances the flavor andaroma of these products and the smoke emitted therefrom therebyincreasing or enhancing the pleasure and other values that may bederived by the consumer from the use of these products.

A further object of this invention is the provision ofa process forenhancing or otherwise improving the flavor, aroma and other qualitiesof certain domestic,

oriental, reconstituted or synthetic tobaccos which may be deficient insaid flavor or aroma or other qualities.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a process ofpreparing a smoking tobacco or product which when smoked has an enhancedflavor or aroma.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of smokingproducts, such as cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco, and a process forforming same whereby the flavor and aroma before and during smoking areimproved or enhanced.

Further and additional objects will appear from the followingdescription and the appended claims.

In accordance with this invention the flavor and/or aroma of tobacco ortobacco products is improved by adding thereto a small amount of2-hydro5ty-3,5,5- trimethyl-Z-cyclohexen-l,4-dione, which compound hasbeen found in natural tobacco. This compound can be represented by theformula the amount used will depend upon the amount of flavor and/oraroma desired. The additive can be incorporated at any step in treatmentof the tobacco but is preferably added after aging, curing and shreddingand before the tobacco is formed into cigarettes or other products.Likewise, it will be apparent that only a portion of the tobacco need betreated and the thus treated tobacco can be blended with other tobaccosbefore the cigarettes or other tobacco products are formed. In such casethe treated tobacco may have the additive in excess of the amountsaboveindicated so that when blended with other tobaccos the finalproduct will contain a percentage of additive within the indicatedrange.

The tobacco additive of the invention when incorporated into tobaccoproducts improves the flavor and/or aroma of the product. Moreparticularly, the additive has been characterized as adding body to theflavor of tobacco smoke and contributing a chocolate, nutty side note tothe aroma of packaged cigarettes to which it has been added. However, itis to be apprecia'ted that definition or characterization of flavor oraroma in the tobacco art is almost purely subjective and differentsmokers may define the same flavor or effect quite differently.

In accordance with one specific embodiment of this invention, an agedflue-cured andl shredded tobacco is sprayed with a 1 percent ethylalcohol solution of 2- hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-l,4-dione inan amount to provide a tobacco containing 0.001 percent by weight of theadditive on a dry basis. Thereafter the alcohol is removed byevaporation and the tobacco is manufactured into cigarettes by the usualtechniques. It has been found that the cigarette when prepared asindicated has an improved character.

The additive employed in accordance with this invention may be appliedto the tobacco by spraying, dipping or otherwise, utilizing suitablesuspensions or solutions thereof. Thus, water or volatile organicsolvents, such as alcohol, ether, acetone, volatile hydrocarbons and thelike, may be used as the carrying medium for the additive while beingapplied to the tobacco. Also, other flavorand aroma-producing additives,such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,766,145, 2,905,575,2,905,576, 2,978,365 and 3,041,21 1 may be incorporated into the tobaccowith the additive of this invention.

While this invention is principally useful in the manufacture ofcigarette tobacco, it is also suitable for use in connection with themanufacture of pipe tobacco, cigars or other tobacco products.Furthermore, the additive can be added to certain tobacco substitutes ofcan be applied to the paper of the cigarette or to the wrapper of acigar. Also, it can be incorporated into the filter tip, the packagingmaterial or the seam paste employed for gluing the cigarette paper.Thus, a tobacco product is provided which includes the specified addi-2. A process for improving tobacco flavor and/or aroma which comprisesadding thereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weightand sufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of tobacco of 2- hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-l ,4-dione.

3. A process for producing a tobacco product which comprises addingthereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weight andsufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of the tobacco product of 2-hydroxy-3 ,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione.

2. A process for improving tobacco flavor and/or aroma which comprisesadding thereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weightand sufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of tobacco of2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione.
 3. A process forproducing a tobacco product which comprises adding thereto an amount offrom about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weight and sufficient to alter theflavor or aroma of the tobacco product of2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione.